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Deliver Warmth Without the Wait
Jonah Schein
Despite today’s mobile technology, same-day delivery, and live streaming conveniences, there is one thing people still wait for at home: hot water. Just as ill-planned ductwork can decrease a home’s energy performance (even with efficient equipment and insulation), a poorly designed plumbing system can make homeowners wait for—and waste—hot water. [continue reading]
Comments on The North American Passive House Network 2014 Conference
David Kaufman
I recently attended the conference for the North American Passive House Network (NAPHN). NAPHN promotes and mobilizes North American building industries to implement the international Passive House Standard and dramatically improve the quality and sustainability of our built environment. The Internation Passive House Association, headquartered in Germany, has been around for 27 years and recently certified its 1 millionth square meter (10,764 millionth square foot). [continue reading]
BPI's Home Energy Auditing Standard Published as ANSI Standard
Mike Kandel
The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) is proud to announce that BPI-1100-T-2014: Home Energy Auditing Standard has been published as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard. The Home Energy Auditing Standard defines the requirements for a building science-based evaluation, or audit, of existing detached single-family dwellings and townhouses that meet specific criteria detailed in the scope of the standard. "ANSI/BPI-1100 is the core of what energy auditors and building analysts do," said ... [continue reading]
Sense and Survivability: How Evolution Shapes Design Decisions
Samuel Pobst
The 3.8 billion years of evolution of the DNA strand that uniquely identifies the human genome has invested in humanity a host of sensory inputs that are essential to our survival. We possess an exceptional set of sensors from which we extract many subtle cues from our environment, providing us with constant reassurance of our safety. If our building designs do not satisfy our innate security interests, then we feel disconnected. [continue reading]
The Wired Home: Which Technologies Actually Work?
Abby Perkins
With today's sky-high energy costs, homeowners and energy industry professionals alike are constantly looking for ways to increase energy efficiency and save money. Fortunately, advancements in home automation technology have made this easier than ever. [continue reading]
A Green Way to Insulate for Extreme Energy Efficiency
Rob Nicely
Back in the '70s, California’s Title 24 revised the state’s building code to include limits for energy usage in built environments. The go-to solution for stemming the amount of energy required for heating and cooling quickly became insulation. For decades, the most frequently used type of insulation was fiberglass batt, laid between framing in walls and ceilings. To work effectively, insulation has to completely stop the movement of air. The fiberglass ... [continue reading]
The Energy Industry is Up for Grabs
Martha Wampler Behm
Almost 30% of Americans would leave their utility if they could, according to Shelton Group’s 10th annual Energy Pulse study. And of those, fully 64% would choose a non-utility alternative like SolarCity, Google, or Comcast. [continue reading]
Energy, Inc. and LockState to Provide Advanced Control for Energy Monitoring
John Cargile
Energy Inc., a privately held corporation that designs and manufactures real-time electricity management systems for residential and commercial use, recently announced the integration with home automation and load control device manufacturer, LockState. By broadening the flexibility of interoperable devices within the home area network, LockState, maker of door locks, plug strips, thermostats and cameras, can help electric utilities offer consumers more ways to save energy, and to participate in demand response programs, particularly during peak ... [continue reading]
Complete HVAC with Whole Home Performance
Sophia Moore
Every contractor needs to know how important efficiency is for this industry, as the world grows around us we have new technology every day. Being able to offer and explain the latest, most efficient equipment can give you a great edge on your market. Although in some situations, having the most efficient equipment simply doesn’t cut it and there are many different issues that can prevent your install from performing as advertised, including: [continue reading]
Congratulations to the Home Performance with Energy Star Housing Innovation Award Winners!
Ely Jacobsohn
Winners for the Department of Energy’s 2014 Housing Innovations Award were announced on September 23rd during a special event at Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EBBA)’s Excellence in Building Conference in St. Louis, MO. The Housing Innovation Awards support the Department’s commitment to help harness American ingenuity to commercialize and deploy cutting-edge technologies, as well as to promote improving the energy efficiency of the U.S. housing stock. Home Performance with ... [continue reading]
